Elderly patients with single brain metastasis - Overall survival after surgery plus whole-brain irradiation and a radiation boost

Background/Aim: Elderly patients with a single brain metastasis likely benefit from personalized treatment protocols. To add to treatment personalization, a survival score was generated for these patients. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 36 elderly patients, each with a single brain metastasis, who received surgery followed by whole-brain irradiation and a radiation boost. Six pre-treatment characteristics were evaluated regarding survival, namely age, gender, Karnofsky performance score (KPS), type of primary tumor, noncerebral metastasis and interval from diagnosis of the neoplasm until surgery. Results: When applying the Cox regression model, KPS (p=0.005) and tumor type (p=0.018) were significant and incorporated in the score. Based on 12- month survival probabilities, three groups of 6-9 (n=5), 10- 11 (n=15) and 14-19 points (n=16) were formed, with 12- month survival rates of 0%, 33% and 100%, respectively (p<0.0001). Conclusion: A survival score was generated specifically for elderly patients with a single brain metastasis that can improve personalization of their treatment.